


for all the things my hands have held (the best by far is you)

by celestial_lights



Category: Persona 3, Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Persona Secret Santa 2017, Temporary Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-24
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2019-02-19 15:25:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13126500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celestial_lights/pseuds/celestial_lights
Summary: akira and minato talk after a mementos request goes awry.(phantom thief!minato AU)





	for all the things my hands have held (the best by far is you)

**Author's Note:**

> gift fic for tumblr user [kinggaydorah](http://kinggaydorah.tumblr.com) for the persona secret santa, i hope you like it!

 

It was a simple Mementos request from the beginning – the team had a rhythm going, and it was clear that the Shadow they were fighting was becoming weaker.

That is, until a particularly well-placed dark spell caught the team off-guard. Akira could only look on as the spell stunned his teammates. Thankfully, the persona he currently had equipped was resistant to dark, he was safe-

But he immediately realized the spell’s full effects when he heard the rattle of chains, then silence. He hesitantly looked at the source of the sound to see his boyfriend collapsed in a heap on the ground to his left, the sound coming from his numerous chain link belts falling with him.

He could see he wasn’t breathing, that the attack had – _no not killed he can be revived it will be ok someone please revive him bring him back please-_

Akira hadn’t realized he was speaking out loud until he felt the words choke in his throat, his voice cracking. His Joker façade was completely gone, he knew he couldn’t continue fighting even if Minato was completely healed and ready to go back in the fray.

Dammit, he was their leader, he couldn’t even keep his composure-

“Somebody needs to revive Dusk now or get him outta here, this Shadow ain’t gonna stop for us!” Akira could faintly hear someone – Ryuji? shout.

Running on pure adrenaline, Akira rushed to Minato’s side as he began barking orders.

“I’m taking Dusk to a safe area, Queen, you’re in charge while I heal him, you and Panther take over front lines for us,” he said in such a way that his teammates knew that his orders were absolute.

Akira knew he had no time to waste. He picked up his boyfriend’s body, ignoring how he was unnaturally limp, not even bothering to make sure his teammates followed his commands.

 

\--------

 

Akira sprinted down flights of stairs, attempting to remember what floor had the rest stop. After the third flight or so, he found the corridor.  Even though he was out of breath and on the verge of collapsing, the thief held on strong to his boyfriend. He carefully set Minato down across the corridor’s bench before kneeling on the ground next to him.

Upon catching his breath, Akira pushed the chains on the other’s outfit aside ( _why are there so many damn chains and zippers_ , he briefly thought), then pressed the revival bead he pulled from his coat pocket to his chest, right above his heart, silently praying to whatever deity would listen that it would work. He used his other hand to brush the smaller boy’s hair aside, brushing his lips against the rapidly cooling skin beneath it. _C’mon, Mina I love you please come back for me, for us-_

Sputtering and coughing echoed through the rest area, breaking the deathly silence. Minato, upon opening his eyes, immediately began to sit up, only for Akira to gently place a hand on his chest, as if to say ‘ _give yourself time_ ’. He immediately understood the gesture and laid back down.

Words didn’t immediately come to either of the two; any thoughts were left unspoken. Fleeting glances at one another expressed what they had been thinking: _that was too close_.

Akira broke the silence. “Hey,” he hesitantly said. Almost by instinct did he bring his hand to Minato’s, fingers tightly interlacing with each other. It was reassuring, but his fear was evident. He needed to know his boyfriend was alright.

Minato took all of this in, his mind still cloudy and unfocused. “Why… aren’t we with the others?” he asked slowly, as if he had to think carefully about each syllable he spoke.

Akira’s throat tightened, as did his grip on the other’s hand. He swallowed down his anxiety before speaking. “You uh… were sort of knocked out.”

Minato’s gaze remained fixed on the glass ceiling of the corridor. His eyes narrowed. “I died, didn’t I?” he asked. Akira’s silence was enough to confirm Minato’s suspicions. “Ah. I wasn’t careful with my persona’s weaknesses,” he continued nonchalantly, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

The other couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Dusk. You can’t think so recklessly. You can’t _act_ so-” he began, before being interrupted.

“It’s fine, it happens, we couldn’t have predicted that. Not our fault,” Minato began, cautiously sitting up from his previous position. His eyes scanned over his surroundings before turning to his outfit, checking for any damage. The attack didn’t do any _physical_ damage, at least.

Akira moved himself so that he was now sitting next to Minato. His gaze lingered downwards toward the ground, hands balled up into fists in his lap. He was trying not to let them shake. “But you _died_ -“

“I’m back now, aren’t I? We just have to learn to work around these things-“

Akira began to raise his voice. “I shouldn’t have put you in though-“

“Joker, we couldn’t have known. It’s not like you forced me to.”

“But your persona’s weakness kills you-“

“So I shouldn’t fight?” Minato shouted, his voice echoing off the walls. Akira jumped back at the sudden outburst. His boyfriend was usually near-silent when he spoke - he couldn’t remember the last time he had heard Minato raise his voice, let alone at him.

“No, no that’s not what I meant,” Akira backtracked. He truly didn’t intend for his words to come out that way, but it was too late by now. Minato’s eyebrows furrowed, his facial expression stiffening.

“Joker, you’ve been treating me differently since we started dating. I’m not as fragile as you’re making me out to be. Please. I know our relationship is new, but we can’t let it affect our job here,” he finally spoke, considerably calmer than before. The biting edge was still there, though.

Akira pondered this in silence for a brief moment, letting the words sink in before responding. His boyfriend wasn’t wrong – he was positive the others had noticed his recent protectiveness over Minato while on missions, too. He certainly knew that, if any other teammate were unconscious or worse, he wouldn’t act like this. No, he’d get a revival spell their way and continue on.

It took a few moments for him to respond. “I… I’m sorry, Dusk. Not only have I been ignoring my duties as leader, but I’ve… kinda been undermining you in the process. It’s petty, and I’m sorry. Genuinely. You’re so strong and powerful, and I keep on forgetting that I don’t have to protect you from everything.”

Minato’s eyes widened. His lips upturned in a hint of a smile. “…thanks. I don’t feel powerful sometimes, but you’re always here to pick me back up and remind me what we’re fighting for. I just…” Minato trailed off, briefly closing his eyes to compose his thoughts. “I… hope I can do the same for you. C’mere,” Minato said as he brought himself closer, now at eye-level with Akira.

He cupped the leader’s face in his hands before looking at him intently. Gently, his fingertips brushed the edges of his boyfriend’s mask. Minato stayed like this, holding the mask for the briefest of moments before guiding it up Akira’s face. The deep gray eyes hiding underneath met the other’s piercing blue, filled with both affection and determination.

“I love you, Joker. Even if I don’t show it, I do. I was sent here to help you and your team, and I’ll do everything in my power to do just that.”

Akira smiled warmly before pressing his lips to Minato’s. The two stayed together for a moment before separating, faces flushed pink.

Minato was the first to speak. “Shouldn’t we get back to the others?” he asked quietly. By now, he had reverted back to his normal soft-spoken tone.

“We’ve been in here for hours, Dusk, I’m telling Oracle to call everyone back to the entrance. Can you walk?” Akira. He placed a guiding hand on Minato’s back to make sure he didn’t lose balance as he slowly stood up.

The two were interrupted by the sounds of an engine revving getting closer, followed by the squealing of brakes on the tracks next to them.

“Guess we don’t have to,” Akira quietly said to himself.

The window of their supernatural cat-turned-bus rolled down, a familiar face leaning out the window.

“You two coming? Can’t leave without our leaders!” Ann shouted from the open window. The passenger side door opened with Ryuji hopping off the ledge before leaning on the door.

“Yo, lovebirds, we left some room for you guys! Joker, don’t worry about driving, Queen’s got it, ‘aight?” he said, waving his arm forward as the three returned inside the bus.

 

\--------

 

Upon (safely) returning to the city, Akira had insisted on getting ramen for the two. After the day’s efforts, he could tell Minato was hungry. If the occasional growl from his stomach wasn’t indicative enough, his fidgeting was a sure sign.

“Excuse me, could I get another bowl of shoyu?” Minato asked, placing his chopsticks over the now-empty bowl in front of him and stacking it on top of another one to his right.

Akira looked over from his own half-eaten bowl, noticing he was suddenly feeling full. “Mina, that’s your third one.”

He simply shrugged his shoulders. “’m hungry,” was his reply as another bowl was brought out to him, which he immediately dug into. Akira knew not to question him further, and went back to his own food.

After finishing their meals, the couple settled into their seats, hands intertwined. It was a comfort gesture for both of them – a reminder of their presence. The two didn’t speak, they didn’t need to. The chatter of the tiny shop filled their ears as they were left to their own thoughts.

“Come back to my place tonight, Mina,” Akira offered after some time passed. Minato smirked deviously, swaying the hand that was holding Akira’s.

“Were you expecting something out of this?” he said playfully. Akira’s face flushed at the implication.

“No, no. I just wanted to talk. About you. Today had me thinking about a lot of things. About the risks we’re taking, about our mortality, about _us_ ,” Akira said, punctuating the last word with a gentle kiss to the back of his boyfriend’s hand. “C’mon, let’s grab a train home.”

 

\--------

 

The couple were currently laying on Akira’s futon in the attic, cuddled up next to each other. Akira was on his back, staring at the ceiling, one arm hanging across his forehead. Minato laid at his left side, curled up against his boyfriend’s body, head pressed up against the crook of his neck. Akira’s other arm was wrapped around his back. The two had just begun talking, trying to work their way through just _where_ Minato came from.

“Well, I really don’t remember much. I think I lived a past life? This entire… _thing_ feels familiar. Being placed in a completely different setting. Fighting Shadows. It’s all… far too familiar,” Minato began, curling a finger around his hair.

“So you’ve definitely had a past life? Then, are you maybe supposed to be a guide of some sort?” Akira suggested. The thought of his boyfriend being some supernatural being beyond his human form was, frankly, terrifying to the teenager.

“That’s… not really it. I’m definitely human. I’m trying to piece my memories together. I had the Wild Card power you have. I had my own contract, my own journey. That year was terrifying, I won’t lie. People died. The last thing from that past life I remember was seeing my friends, then being filled with warmth… When I woke up, I was in… the Velvet Room?” Minato rambled, both trying to inform Akira and get himself to remember.

“ _Oh._ ”

“Wait. No, this was something even bigger than the Velvet Room. Someone told me I was needed again. Then I was in Mementos. I didn’t know that, though. I thought I was in Hell and I was tricked somehow, to be honest,” Minato continued.

The other’s eyes widened at this, trying to take in all of this information. Even though the two had been dating for a few months by this point, Minato was never one to talk about himself – he was never one to talk this much in general. Knowing about his life made Akira want to protect him even more. He remembered the conversation the two had in Mementos, however, and instead settled for carding his free hand through the smaller teenager’s hair at that moment.

Akira closed his eyes in concentration, attempting to figure out the enigma that was Minato Arisato. “So it was… more like you being in a coma than another life, then,” he concluded plainly.

“Maybe more like somewhere between life and death.”

“Isn’t that what a coma is?”

“I suppose. ‘s not the same, but close enough.”

“Purgatory?”

“Akira, those specifics don’t really matter.”

“You’re right. So, um, how do I say this… do you… consider yourself a Phantom Thief? You already went through this, you said. Being forced into the middle of a huge conspiracy again with complete strangers and all, you must feel kinda isolated,” Akira said.

“I mean, I’ve just been taking it in stride like I did before,” Minato responded bluntly. The silence afterwards was stagnant in the attic.

“Morgana’s situation is similar to mine, you know. Brought here to help you, can’t remember why or how. I just fell in love with you in the process,” he continued, quieter this time.

“It’d be kinda gross if Morgana fell in love with me,” Akira replied, earning a gentle punch to his side. “Ow, okay. Really, though, I’m glad it was you. You _get_ me.”

He paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts. “Um. When you… _collapsed_ earlier, it was the first time as Joker I felt helpless,” Akira began once again, trying to avoid mentioning exactly what had happened. His grip on his boyfriend tightened, pulling him into a deeper embrace. He turned his head so he was facing Minato. “I’m really sorry about how I acted, too. I know I already apologized, but I don’t want our duties as Phantom Thieves to get in the way of our relationship,” he murmured into his blue hair.

“See, Akira. That’s where we’re different. Dying doesn’t bother me. My whole life, from what I remember, has been surrounded by death. You, I can tell death terrifies you. That’s natural. But, you can’t fear the inevitable.”

Akira scoffed. “Heh, easier said than done,” he thought out loud, the statement directed toward no one in particular. Minato shifted his position on the futon, making his way out of Akira’s arms to prop himself up on his elbows. He pulled out his MP3 player from the pocket of his jeans.

“S’okay. Let’s just forget about today for right now, yeah? We’ll figure things out, it takes time. Here. Your choice,” he said, handing the player to Akira.

He flipped through the library before settling on a soft acoustic album he knew both of them liked. The music began to fill the attic as he placed the player on the windowsill. Akira then turned over on the futon so he was on top of Minato, hands carding through blue locks, settling himself between the other’s legs.

“This okay?” he quietly asked, searching for any signs of discomfort from the teenager underneath him.

“Yeah, it’s good,” Minato quietly responded before pulling him down for a kiss.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> cue miles long author's note
> 
> first, i've been writing fic for years but this is my first one published on ao3 (cries i'm in the big leagues...)
> 
> also i admittedly struggled quite a bit with minato's character, mainly because he doesn't talk that much in the manga or the movies, but there's so much exposition here so i hope i balanced that well
> 
> i also spent far too much time trying to come up with a thief name for minato, it was basically between the word night in like three different languages, but i settled with dusk b/c rule of cool
> 
> title is from cecilia and the satellite by andrew mcmahon in the wilderness
> 
> finally, shout out to the persona secret santa discord chat, you guys are incredible people <3


End file.
